The Guardian of the Dangai
by CieloLuna88
Summary: The Hogyoku went berserk without a master and Ichigo went his way to save Soul Society at the price of his own life. All of them suffered a great loss and Rukia went into a depression. Twenty years passed, a stranger appears in the Dangai. Who is this stranger and what does he know about Ichigo? ... Slight IchiRuki...
1. Prologue

**_Prologue:_**

The explosion's impact on Sereitei was huge and the one from before was nothing compared to this. The Hogyoku who disappeared when it rejected Aizen, was out of control due to not having a master for a long time. Many shinigami were wounded and bloodied, even Ikkaku Madarame suffered critical injuries with Ayasegawa Yumichika having cuts and burns all over his body and his beautiful face. There in front of the Hogyoku were the capable warriors who still fought on to stop the rampaging power.

These brave Shinigamis were Kurosaki Ichigo, Shinigami Daiko; Hirako Shinji, 5th Squad Captain; Muguruma Kensei, 9th Squad Captain; Kuchiki Rukia, 13th Squad Lieutenant; Abarai Renji, 6th Squad Lieutenant; Urahara Kisuke, former 12th Squad Captain and currently an exiled Shinigami; Kyoraku Shunsui, 8th Squad Captain; Ukitake Jushiro, 13th Squad Captain and Hitsugaya Toshiro, 10th Division Captain.

Kurosaki Isshin and Kuchiki Byakuya was helping the other Shinigamis to fend off the hollows that were attracted to the Hogyoku.

"Damn it! It's not even stopping," Ichigo shouted.

"Yeah and it seems to be full of very strong reiatsu," Hitsugaya replied.

"There is only one way to destroy it, but it will be a risk," Urahara said while catching his breath.

"How?" Hirako asked rather impatiently.

"One should directly hit the Hogyoku with strength and force higher than a regular Shinigami captain. However, when a Hogyoku breaks, it engulfs its surroundings in a large explosion capable of annihilating four fifths of Soul Society. To make it safe, it should be destroyed inside the Dangai for it to contain the reiatsu and not affect the other worlds," Urahara explained as he opened a Senkaimon.

"That's crazy! The one who will do it will die!" Ukitake said with worry in his voice.

"But considering the circumstances, it can't be helped," Kyoraku said with a hint of sadness on his voice.

As they talked about stopping it, the Hogyoku glowed and started to show signs of explosion.

As these brave Shinigamis ready their own self-defense, one with spiky, bright orange hair directed his sword full of reiatsu to Hogyoku and pushed it to the Dangai.

The others behind followed inside and saw his body slowly cracking like glass and his one eye was broken as he struggled with the Hogyoku's force. (It's just like the time when Ul used Iced Shell on Deliora - Fairy Tail.)

Due to the strong collision of strong reiatsus, the Restrictive Current was moving and the Kototsu was coming.

"Get out now! Close the gate and I'll handle this!" Ichigo said in loud and restrained voice.

All the ones who were there started to leave but Rukia tried to remain.

"But Ichigo, what about you?!" Rukia said, almost in the verge of tears.

He turned his face that showed a mix of regret, happiness and sadness. "Sorry Rukia, I guess I'll never see everyone again. Goodbye," Ichigo said as tears fell down his eyes to his face.

Rukia could only watch him as he slowly shattered with the Restrictive Current and Kototsu near to his location. Just as the Senkaimon closed, the Hogyoku exploded. It was tremendous that its impact from the Dangai reached to the Soul Society.

Rukia cried bitterly as she remembered his slowly shattering face filled with tears and serene smile on his lips. Isshin went to her side and hugged her like her own daughter as they cried for the lost of the Orange-haired strawberry.

A funeral was held on both worlds; first, at Sereitei where a pedestal, inscribed with words '_In memory of Kurosaki Ichigo, Hero of the Winter War and the Savior of the Hogyoku Rampage – May he rest in peace!', _was made on the Sokyoku Hill to remember his honorable death and sacrifice.

Sadness was evident on the usual stoic face of Kuchiki Byakuya and Captain Commander Genryuusai Shikeguni Yamamoto. The other captains and vice captains and vaizards who became close with him cried tears of sadness. Sarugaki Hiyori did her best effort not to cry, but her tears betrayed her as they fell on her face. Each of them placed a white rose and a black rose on his pedestal, signifying his personality.

The second funeral in the Real World was more painful for Isshin. The rain poured down, as if it also mourned for his loss. Karin and Yuzu cried bitterly while hugging their father who kneeled in front of his grave. Orihime didn't bother to make her crying silent as he cried on Ishida's shoulder, at the same time clinging for support. Ishida, Sado, Tatsuki, Keigo and Mizuiro also cried along with the rain.

As everyone went home unable to hold back their sadness, Isshin buried in front of Ichigo's gravestone the Combat Pass.

"May you rest in peace, Ichigo."

**This is just the prologue, so it may be boring but please review and give me more suggestions.**


	2. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1: Stranger in the Dangai_

Twenty years passed since his demise and the people of Sereitei made it a customary to gather at his pedestal at the Sokyoku and place a white and a black rose.

Rukia was always the first one to arrive during his Death Anniversary. She became the Vice-captain of the 13th Squad. However, Rukia suffered a great depression on which Byakuya started to worry for her health. Byakuya always escorts her now because she wouldn't eat and he has to convince her before she does.

Rukia cannot stand her depression and went into a Depression coma for two years.

As Rukia was lying on the bed at the 4th Squad Barracks, watched closely by a sleeping Byakuya and Renji at his side, a breeze that carried a familiar reiatsu entered the room.

Rukia slowly opened her eyes that haven't awakened for two years.

"I…chi…go…" she said in a dry and hoarse voice barely heard.

Byakuya and Renji bolted awake and surprised that Rukia finally opened her eyes after two years. Byakuya handed her a glass of water which she drank and cleared her throat.

"What happened to me?"

"You went into a comatose after you fainted in front of Kurosaki's pedestal," Byakuya said with worry in his voice which is rather rare to be seen.

"Yeah, you suddenly burst into tears and fainted like that. You got us all worried," Renji added.

"I see," Rukia said weakly as she relaxed in her bed.

_Two Weeks Later …_

Rukia recovered from her coma soon enough and was now resuming her duties as vice-captain of the 13th Division.

Renji and Rukia were talking at the garden of the 6th Squad barracks when they were ordered to go to the Dangai and find the culprit who had been playing with the Dangai's Restrictive Current which led to many passing Shinigamis to disappear in it. They accepted it quickly and opened the Senkaimon gate accompanied by two Hell Butterflies.

When they entered the Dangai, the Senkaimon suddenly closed and the Restrictive Current began to move. They began to search for the area and they found a middle-aged man wearing a worn-out brown cloak and a tattered Shinigami outfit.

"Who are you and are you the one responsible for this?" asked Rukia.

"My, my, to your first question, I am Sajura Tengu and yes, I am," he replied.

"Where did you learn to control the Restrictive Current? Only the members of the Research and Development Beureau are able to do it," Renji asked.

"You remember Kageroza Inaba, don't you?" he said with a sinister grin in his face.

"No way … You mean …" Rukia said with a startled look on her face.

"Yes! When I was sentenced into exile here at the Dangai, I searched for the reishi of the cancelled project and somehow found information on how to control the Dangai. This is revenge to them by placing me here into exile!"

"Rukia, the current! It's getting near us!" Renji said with a worried voice.

Their conversations were cut short when a hooded figure that glowed with a purple aura appeared above them. The stranger was tall in height and wearing a cape with a hood that covered his/her physical features. Surprisingly, the Restrictive Current stopped on his tracks and as Tengu tried to control it, but it wouldn't move.

"So, you are the one who has been lingering here in the Dangai. How dare you use it for your revenge!" the stranger said in a weird voice that was a mix of many pitches of voices that echoed. One could tell though, the stranger was angry.

"Who are you? Another shinigami? How did you learn to control it too?" he asked missing the tone of anger in the stranger's voice.

Instead of answering, the stranger just sighed and said a single word.

"Dissapear."

The Restrictive Current then started moving but instead of heading toward Rukia and Renji, it went to Tengu's direction and swallowed the screaming man who simply vanished. The current them settled itself again on the walls. The stranger went down to where Rukia and Renji are and at the same time glowed with bright purple aura then became bended and holding a thin walking stick. The two shinigami just stared before being snapped out of their thoughts by the strabger's voice.

"I see you two are unharmed. I will open the Senkaimon for you and you can go back safely to Sereitei. I will accompany you to the end for the Hell Butterflies vanished when the gate closed,"

"Um, who are you and why are you in the Dangai?" Renji questioned.

"For your second question, I cannot answer. I am what they call the –"

**Sorry about this chapter. I'm very busy lately and i have little time to update. Please review and give me more suggestions.**

**PLEASE!**


	3. Chapter 2

_Chapter Two: Legend of the Guardian_

_"For your second question, I cannot answer. I am what they call –"_

"– the Guardian of the Dangai," the stranger answered in the usual mixture of voices as they walked towards the gate.

"The Guardian of the Dangai! That's impossible! It's been centuries since the last guardian appeared," shouted Renji surprising Rukia.

A sigh escaped the stranger's mouth as he replied, "You must be really stubborn as to not believe, Abarai Renji, but I have no care whatsoever if you believe me or not."

"Hey - … wait … how did you know my name?"

"It is one of my abilities and I don't have to explain it to the likes of you."

"What's your name then?" Rukia asked politely.

"I don't have name Kuchiki Rukia, but you can address me as 'Tsuki'."

"How can we know if you aren't a fake and you're not lying to us?" questioned Renji, a suspicious tone mixed with his question.

"Perhaps you should find the answer to your questions and it is up to you if you believe me or not," he answered glowing again in bright purple light as his/her stature became as short as an eleven-year old kid.

The two noticed this and decided to better not question the stranger as they neared the edge and the kid turned to them.

"You are free to tell everyone what you have witnessed and I am not going to threaten you for it. You may now go back."

"Thanks for your help," were the words that escaped Rukia's mouth as they jumped out of the Dangai and the Senkaimon closed.

When they landed on the grounds of Sereitei, Renji let out a cry of pain as an unexpected punch hit his face and sent him crashing towards a pillar.

"Hey Rukia what was that for?!" shouted Renji through moans of pain.

Rukia stepped on his face as she answered, "Idiot! Why are you shouting towards a person who helped us from being sucked into a void with continuous flow of time! And second, how come you know about the Dangai's guardian while I myself don't know it?"

"Sorry about it, I just can't believe it since it was rumored that there was nothing more heard about the guardian for hundreds of years so it was considered as a legend, and we learned about it in History Class at the academy! You know, being in the advanced class and all …" answered a defensive Renji.

"Okay Renji, tell me about this Guardian of the Dangai once we get to the 13th Division barracks."

"Fine."

They flash stepped to the 13th Division and went to sit on the garden within the barracks. They sat on a wide chair for five near the fountain and Renji started to tell her the story.

_"Well, it was said that 2 millenniums before, a captain-class shinigami named Hikari Izumi was framed of the murder of a knight of the Royal Family. He was locked up on a hidden prison where he was forced to confess that he did the crime, but he still told them that he was framed. The leaders seem to be getting annoyed and punished him by becoming an exile and to be forced to disappear in the Dangai. He seemed resigned to his fate to the fact that he didn't complain or struggle at the punishment. _

_The time for his punishment came and he was pushed in the Senkaimon to the Dangai where they closed it immediately. It was believed that by sheer coincidence, the Restrictive Current and the Kototsu came to Izumi at the same time and vanished at the flash of bright purple lights. _

_He became the first guardian and had the power to even manipulate time at a given space if deemed necessary. He can control the powers of the Dangai and have the powers, if not as strong as, more powerful than the King himself. _

_As he continued her duty, he started to learn about his powers and the restrictions to maintain balance. And so, as the first guardian, he made the sets of rules and restrictions of all incoming guardians. Many centuries passed and he was beginning to tire and so he stayed on his realm inside the Dangai and waited for another one to succeed him._

_This process continued down to the successor passing the authority to another._

_They have restrictions such as not meddling with Shinigamis, humans and every affair outside the Dangai and to make an appearance to any foreign being inside if the situation is deemed necessary._

_There are two consequence of being one though. One: they will be scrapped of their emotions only feeling or expressing one emotion at a limited time; and two: is to have your memories but can never learn your true name for all the guardians must not know their own names for it may trigger their memories and become confused by the flooding of their memories that can drive them insane or will make them abandon their duties to just learn of the past._

Renji finished the story only to find out that Rukia was listening very intently and was at full attention until his story was finished.

"Wow, it's like blessing and at the same time a curse," murmured Rukia.

"Yeah I know, but let me tell ya, there were only 5 guardians to be exact including that one we met. One named Kisuro Katsuki, I think, learned his name and practically went insane while looking up about his past and so, he was instantly replaced."

"Whoa Renji, you really are smarter than you look. I never thought you managed to remember an old legend."

Renji just rolled his eyes.

~~3~~

A certain guardian watched the image of a petite shinigami and a pineapple head in a small pond in his garden as he sat on a marble bench.

"Rukia… Renji…"

List of the previous to the current guardians…

1- Hikari Izumi

2- Yasuro Yuuki

3- Kisuro Katsuki

4- Hidetora Sakura

5- "Tsuki"

**Sorry for the long wait. I WAS REALLY BUSY AND I LOST THE INTERNET CONNECTION FOR TWO WEEKS!**

**I'll try to update as fast as I can.**

**Please Review...**


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